Category: Retirement

If only my feet could talk…Blog #121

Walking down the cobbled road, decending the steps, walking through the tunnel and past the young man playing the bagpipes, then entering the vast Praza do Obradoiro, home to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, we, my hiking partner and I, were both elated, and exhausted!

We had finished the walk from Sarria and arrived in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, in the early afternoon. The final task was to visit the Pilgrim Office to receive our official certificate, the Compostela. To earn this recognition we had to walk at least the last 100 km of the Camino Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, and collect stamps on the Credencial del Peregrino along the way (at least two each day) to verify we actually did in the walk.

Over our six days of hiking, averaging 20km per day, we were graced with perfect weather, while soaking in beautiful, lush, peaceful meadows, and fragrant forests of acacia and eucalyptus trees. At times we walked together, sometimes chatting with other pilgrims, and other times we walked alone, each lost in our own thoughts. And we climbed many, many long hills on paved, cobbled, rocky, gravel, and forest bed surfaces. Then down again. Only to turn a corner to find another hill daring us to reach yet another peak. 

At the end of the first day we humbly admitted that we had never been more physically challenged in our lives…and that was just day one! Day two boasted an unfathomable 24 km, 17 of which were mostly vertical. How would we ever complete another 4 days of this?   

But we did. At the end of each day we were rewarded with unique and wonderful accommodations, mostly dating back to the 1700’s. Each place had been refurbished while retaining most of the original structure and elegant beauty. Meals were created from locally sourced foods by skilled chefs — a delight to our tastebuds, and nourishment for our weary bones.

People choose to hike all or a portion of the Camino for various reasons. I really didn’t set out with a defined purpose. The thought of taking a break from a busy schedule and the demands of daily life was appealing. Getting away from technology was also something I looked forward to, however, without the use of a phone and internet with EU access, the journey would have been greatly impeded.

I had watched videos of the Camino and was certainly attracted by the scenes of serenity as pilgrims traversed trails that guided them through countryside and ancient villages, some seemingly uninhabited, others more vibrant yet quiet and peaceful. My experience certainly reflected the shared experiences of pilgrims that had gone before.

For me, this hike was more physically and mentally challenging than I had imagined. However, through texts, FaceTime, and daily handwritten notes of encouragement from my husband (he had written a note for me to open each day on my voyage), his message of “Dig deep, find that place of courage, strength and peace. You can do this!”, was food for my soul. Add to that the cheering voices of my kids, grandkids, niece, and friends — there was no way I was going to quit (much to the chagrin of my feet and their growing blisters!).

On day 5, while climbing yet another hill and reminding myself to breath, a moment of realization hit me; I still had the physical and mental fortitude to push myself to the limit, and walk (or limp) the St. James Way trek in my 65th year. I could do this…and more!

As I’ve written in past blogs, and in my soon to be published memoir, ‘What if…’ life is to be lived to the fullest, even in the face of obstacles. Age should never be the determining factor of what adventures we embrace. Pain, injury, health crisis, you name it, don’t necessarily have to change your goals, just the path you take to get there.

Currently we are riding a bus on a very windy road enroute from Bilbao to San Sebastián, Spain. In Bilbao we explored the Guggenheim — the architecture was every bit as mind blowing as I expected, walked the streets of Old Town and visited the Cathedral of Santiago. Unbeknown to us, our Credencial del Peregrino granted us free access (and another stamp) to take in the beauty of this structure. While wowed by it’s beauty I was once again saddened and left wondering why so many homeless individuals sat, kneeled, or lay prostrate just outside the doors of such obvious wealth and opulence, begging for money or food. One of life’s many injustices.

I am excited to arrive in San Sebastián and get my feet into the Atlantic. By the ocean, or sea, continues to be my place of rumination, a great place to sit, breathe, and reflect on what I’ve experienced over the past 2 week since leaving home. 

Stay tuned for more reflections as I probe and ponder experiences through life and travel.

Publish? Me?…Blog #117

Have you ever had something nagging in the back of your mind that is not so strong as to be hushed, but also not so quiet as to be ignored? I think that niggling (or whatever you might call it) has been my constant companion for a few years. Just to be clear, when I use the word niggling, I don’t mean worrisome, more like persistent. 

Monchique, Portugal Dec. 29, 2021

I found this quote in a blog called That Niggling Thought, it gives voice to what I’m endeavouring to say.

Sometimes a thought returns so incessantly it needs to be investigated. Learning to listen and to simply be open to trying is more challenging than we’d like.  

My niggling thought? Should I write a book? Of course, along with the idea has always come an inner dialogue with the potential to fast track me onto a roller coaster of reasoning that only a strategic thinker could conceive.

But, what if I did? What would it be about? Would anyone want to read it? Would anyone pay to read it? What if no one did read it, would it have been a waste of time and money? But…what if I did and it ended up being an encouragement to others? Perhaps even insightful? What if it made them laugh, or cry? What if it provided an enjoyable read as they relaxed on some spectacular beach overlooking the ocean on a warm summer’s day? Ok, that’s maybe going too far. But…what if?

Sometimes you just need to open that unknown door, and do it! That’s exactly where my niggling has led me. 

If you’ve been following my blogs for a while, you’ll know that my husband and I spent several months in Portugal and Spain while I was on an extended study leave from teaching HR and Management at Okanagan School of Business in Kelowna, BC, Canada. We expected it to be an adventure, and it was. We expected it to be a learning experience, and it was. We expected it to be amazing, and it was. We didn’t expect it to be filled with many challenges and shall we say, growth opportunities. But it was!

The years of niggling finally provided both the impetus and inspiration to write a memoir, which I did. Having finally submitted it to a publisher, a whole new learning journey begins.

I invite you to share in this journey with me. Hopefully it will be both informational and inspirational. Hopefully you’ll pay attention to whatever is niggling at you and step through that door to adventure and learning. And hopefully you’ll share your experiences of following the niggling.

The deepest satisfaction of writing is precisely that it opens up new spaces within us of which we were not aware before we started to write. To write is to embark on a journey whose final destination we do not know.

Henri Nouwen

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What if?…Blog #72

“What if…?” is the great crippler. Think about it, how many people use this question in the positive sense? What if I win the race? What if the sun shines for our wedding day? What if I don’t get sick on this trip? What if I don’t make a fool of myself? Rather, we worry about losing the race, having a special event rained out, getting seasick, or being humiliated over a poor performance.

These questions of ‘what if’ can consume us to the point of paralysis. As a young girl, I remember standing on the second highest diving board of the local outdoor, sea water fed swimming pool in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Frozen (not just because of the Baltic temperatures), I rehearsed all the horrors that could mark the outcomes of a failed landing. Or even worse, the humiliation of retreating to ground level. “It’s now or never!” I remember thinking just before taking the step of no return. Nose held tight by shaking fingers, it was the longest fall of my life—but it wasn’t the last time I stepped off that platform! The positives what ifs won. What if I make it? What if my friends are totally impressed with my bravery? What if the water is bathtub warm by the time I land? (nope, that didn’t happen!)

Picky Pool

As I write this blog, most of us are living in self-isolation due to COVID-19. The what ifs are very real. Our concerns around elderly parents, pregnant daughters, children living in other parts of the world, family members with health issues, friends losing their livelihoods, are very real. No one should be shamed for obsessing on the what ifs in such a reality.

It would be reasonable if our doubts were limited to such global pandemics, but they are not. As we consider a temporary leave from the life we really do enjoy in British Columbia, trading it for a year traveling with me working remote, many ‘what ifs’ bubble to the surface. What if one of us gets sick? What if we can’t find suitable accommodations? What if we can’t stay within our budget? What if we can’t rent our home out? What if we don’t get to see our daughter and son-in-law and new baby for a year? (He/she will be one by then). What if another pandemic strikes? What if my dad passing away while we’re gone? What if a family member or close friend has a crisis? What if I go through all the planning and my funding proposal is rejected?  What if…? I get depressed just thinking about all the possible catastrophes!

“You’ll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that.” 
― Roald Dahl

But…what if we pass up such an opportunity? What experiences and adventures might we never have, never get to share with our family and friends when they come to visit (and they will)? What new learning experiences might we lose out on, or new relationships never built? What if the funding approval is given enthusiastically and all this planning actually becomes a reality? Now I’m starting to feel giddy with the possibilities!

Interesting, nothing about my current situation has changed, I’m no closer to having the trip planned or approved. However, my outlook, my state of mind, my level of excitement has brought a smile to my face, and added a few BPM to my heart rate.

What if we chose to face each day, each adventure, or each challenge, from the perspective of positive potential. What if we face life with expectancy—like a child on Christmas morning, rather than channeling Winnie the Pooh’s dear old friend Eeyore?

A year of travel and remote work would be both influenced and impacted by how we choose to face the joys and challenges presented. What if it turns out to be the greatest year ever?

Generation Jones…What about us?

Zandvoort, start of bike ride in dunes.

I’m currently writing from our Airbnb in Zandvoort, Netherlands, a location we will undoubtedly return to. Not only is the town lovely, the beach spectacular (9km long), the eateries delicious, the dune-winding bike trails amazing, and the coffee from our favourite Café (Blue Zone Espresso) top notch… the people are lovely. I’m also impressed by the very obvious age variety; young children through retirement everywhere we go. And, of course, I’m intrigued by the high percentage of Generation Jones, or Jonesers (born between 1955-1965). I’ve been wondering how many live and work in Zandvoort, and how many commute into larger business centers i.e. Haarlem or Amsterdam.

Why am I so intrigued by this? As I continue to investigate various aspects of remote work, I am drawn to the working contexts of the Gen Jones demographic (that’s me). So much is being written about how the millennials are shaping the future of work, but I want to stand up and shout ‘what about me?’ How are those in my generation shaping the future of work? (Just a note, I’m not a strong believer in labelling people…I’m simply using the terms for a talking point.)

Millennials entered into an environment where it is not uncommon to expect flexible work hours and remote work arrangements. My generation has come through the years of raising these same millennials (my husband and I raised a gen x and a millennial, both amazing!), instilling in them a mindset that encouraged them to think and innovate, not be bound by tradition. We Jonesers have spent much of our lives working the 9-5 routine, and, quite frankly, we’re not satisfied to continue working within those boundaries as we consider moving toward potential retirement. And here lies the tension, many of us simply don’t want to retire, but nor do we want to continue with the same, tired, 9-5 routine.

Research is showing that many of us will migrate to freelancing as we approach 65-ish, for multiple reasons: freedom, finances, not wanting to stop working, wanting to continue contributing to a workforce we spent our lives building into. But what if we really like what we do…is the only option to leave fulfilling jobs and take freelance gigs? What if the organizations we work for took proactive steps to prevent the potential, and reported, brain drain, and offer options for flexible or remote work options? What if organizations transitioned my Joneser compatriots into roles that not only engaged us in the on-going success of the business, but also facilitated the opportunity to mentor those amazing young people following in our footsteps? What if we actually created environments where a

Not ready to ride into the sunset!

younger generation taught and inspired us trailblazers, while we shared our journeys of success, and failure, as a foundation for the past informing, (not controlling), the future?

I am sure some organizations are doing just that…I want to hear from them. I want to learn how they are making it happen, and why others are not innovating in this manner. And I want to hear from my fellow GenJonesers…what does the future of work look like for you?

It’s not just millennials who are shaping the future of work…it’s all generations! Together, we can make ‘work’ the thing we do with intentionality, efficiency, and passion.